1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to recovering liquid hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoir with an injectate, and more particularly to methods and systems to design the injectate to reduce surface complexation between interfaces of the liquid hydrocarbon and reservoir rock.
2. Background Information
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Oil, petroleum, tars, other liquid fossil fuels, and other liquid hydrocarbons are contained in, and recovered from, subterranean or underground formations. To access these liquid hydrocarbons, wells are typically drilled from the surface down into the subterranean formations, and the liquid hydrocarbons are recovered through the wells.
Initially, the liquid hydrocarbons may be recovered through primary extraction. Primary extraction may use natural reservoir pressure to force the liquid hydrocarbons into the well. However, typically not all of the liquid hydrocarbons may be recovered through primary extraction. At some point, residual liquid hydrocarbons may be held too tightly within the subterranean formation (e.g., due to adhesive interactions between the oil and the rock) and may be unrecoverable or practically unrecoverable through primary extraction. Often the amount of remaining liquid hydrocarbons may be significant, for example around half of the original oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.
Secondary extraction is commonly used in order to recover some of the remaining liquid hydrocarbons. A common form of secondary extraction involves injecting a medium known as an injectate, such as water (e.g., seawater or terrestrial water) or gas (e.g., carbon dioxide), into the subterranean reservoir in order to mobilize and recover additional liquid hydrocarbons.